


The Blank Space Between His Parted Lips

by dani1314



Category: Death Note
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, British Accents Everywhere, M/M, Moon River Fic, Near is the son of L and Naomi, Possible NSFW content?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-14 04:37:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4550691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dani1314/pseuds/dani1314
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New Haven Private Academy in Winchester, England has made history with the arrival of their first Japanese exchange student: Daikoku Private Academy Year 12, Light Yagami. New Haven Year 10 and top student, Nate River, is intrigued by Light. Needless to say, Light shares similar sentiments towards Nate. But what happens when one gets too close for comfort?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Curiosity

Upon discovering her infertility, 25 year-old Naomi Misora shrunk back at the harsh reality. She would return home later that evening, collapsing onto her husband’s chest, her pair of shaking hands digging into the fabric of his white long sleeve as she sobbed. In return, he would reach out to rub the top of her back in his feeble attempts to soothe her. 

Would she ever become a mother? 

Months later, the answer became much clearer. 

Nate River was born to Harold and Farrah River outside of London. The couple was nearing their late teens with Nate as an unexpected difficulty to their financial burdens. As such, they reluctantly gave him up to an adoption agency, where they would soon meet with Naomi and her husband, Hideki Ryuga. 

“We trust he’ll be safer with you two. He needs parents that will devote their love and attention to him while not worrying about when he’ll get his next meal.”

Farrah passed the sleeping baby over to Naomi. Nate stirred as his hold was transferred to the other woman: his new mother. She sniffled at the mere sight of him, tears inevitably falling down her cheeks. Though his small hair tuft appeared white, she assumed it would darken to a light blond color when he grows. 

“Thank you so much,” she said, a slight croak evident in her tone. 

“We’ll take good care of you, Nate.”

 

The time was 6:30am. Nate stared at his reflection, shaky hands fumbling with the red necktie tied around the neck of his white dress shirt. He hated wearing it but he hated the khaki uniform a little bit more. Reaching for the uniform top, he shoved the sleeves into each arm before grabbing his messenger bag, slinging it over his left shoulder as he made a dash for the front door. 

Naomi was finishing breakfast, setting down a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage links next to a plate of toast for Nate. Hideki peered up from his morning paper, a tentative eyebrow raised at the sight of his son stepping out of his room in a rush. Although Naomi would attempt to take action, he would continue peering through his paper, reading on about a mysterious drug dealer “terrorizing” certain parts of the United States. Thank god they lived in England.

“I’m leaving now.”

Nate reached for the doorknob, turning it clockwise before pushing the front door and screen door open. Naomi set down the plate of breakfast she had prepared for him, making a brief spring towards the door to catch up to him. 

“Nate, hold on a-“

The screen door slammed shut before Naomi could even finish her sentence. The boy was a lot faster than she anticipated, peering outside to see that he was already towards the next block. Where he got such athletic ability from was unclear. 

With a defeated sigh, she approached the front door, closing it shut. She pinched the bridge of her nose and made her way back into the dining room, a concerned expression spread across her features. She turned her gaze down to Hideki, sitting on the chair next to him where Nate usually sat. 

“Don’t you find that strange, Ryuga? This is the third time in the same week that he decided to leave half an hour early without telling us.”

Hideki grunted in acknowledgement of his wife’s concerns, gaze averting from the newspaper towards the untouched plate of food. With his free hand, he reached for a sausage link, which Naomi denied access the moment as she pushed the plate away from him.

“Considering his age, there’s an eighty percent chance that he’s leaving early to quietly observe his affections towards an individual of the opposite sex.”

“And the other twenty percent?”

A contemplative pause overcame the man as he reached for his mug of coffee. After taking a sip, he set the mug down and turned his gaze towards Naomi, eyebrows raised at the possibility that it could be something other than a girl.

“He could be dealing drugs.”

 

He was sitting at the bench towards the side of the school building, gaze glancing at the clean sweep of copper brown hair right above the stairway. Soon, he’d catch a better view of his face, eyebrows raised by the sight of the charming grin in his expression. There was no doubt he was a hit with the ladies, considering the large group of them practically fawning at his feet, as if he were some sort of divine being. One could only wonder how he could keep up with such a persona. 

“Hey, Nate.”

With his focus disrupted, Nate gazed up at Linda, grunting in acknowledgement of her greeting. She settled herself on the spot next to him, to which he rarely opposed. The girl was favorable company in his selective pool of his so-called “friends.” As Nate continued to observe, Linda reached into the pocket of her plaid skirt and pulled out a small notepad with a pen attached to the coil. She, too, would find herself looking towards the direction of the exchange student, carefully scribbling down her nonsensical observations in the process.

“Do you mind if I ask again about your reasons for coming half an hour early to observe the Japanese exchange student?”

There was no use hiding his intentions with her. Unlike other individuals he knew personally, Linda was sworn to protect the secrecy of his observations. 

“My curiosities towards him are subjective. This is the first time in New Haven Academy’s history that we’ve received an exchange student from Japan due to our new affiliation with his original school. Not to mention he’s almost a senior, which I find most unusual. Why would he choose to study abroad this late in his term?”

His reasoning seemed valid enough. Linda would dare not question his curiosity, as it was in his nature for as long as she knew him. The sophomore was no more private about his full intentions other than for observational purposes. It was only a matter of time until he reaches the stage where he’ll attempt a direct confrontation. 

“Is that all?”

Nate paused, a hand reached out behind his hair, fingers digging between his locks and twirling them in an anxious motion. And now the student was laughing. It must have been something one of the girls said to him. Regardless, it almost felt mocking and his stomach churned at the thought. Or maybe there was the fact that he forgot to eat breakfast again. Heaving a sigh, he tilted his head, curving the grip of the hair between his fingers.

“…I want to know who he is.”


	2. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt makes his first move. Nate makes a big decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before ask about it later, some names of certain characters may be changed (i.e. Matt's real name being Matthew and not Mail). I don't really have much of a reason other than it's easier for me to remember people's real names. I know it's weird for me to not write "Mello" or "Near," but hey, I'm not ready to give spoilers just yet. 
> 
> In other news, it's coming down the line as I turn in two more applications for jobs. I should be hearing back from someone this week and yeah, I promise I'll be getting internet soon. I mean, on the flip side, not having internet has given me more time to actually sit down and work on these chapters. 
> 
> Thanks again for being patient and enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Slight ableism warning in this chapter!

Fifteen minutes passed before the Japanese exchange student retired to the college building. Not even once did the older teen glance at Nate, which only raised the anxiousness building up in chest. A shaky hand reached for the knot of his necktie, fumbling with the tightness pulling against his neck as he watched the student walk away with his entourage. Perhaps he would have better luck in the afternoon. 

There was hardly a time when Nate and Linda weren’t seen together within or outside school grounds. Even their schedules were a near perfect match, save for the one college class Nate was enrolled in.

In the distance, an envious pair of blue eyes narrowed at the sight of the two of them passing through the hallways. With hands balled into fists and lips curled into a sneer, Mihael scoffed before turning his gaze towards Matthew, who was digging through his locker to find his textbook for his next class. 

“What do you even see in her? She has no other friends than the albino retard.”

“You just don’t like him because he keeps getting first on every exam while you keep getting second.”

“It’s torture enough that I have to share a class with him,” Mihael spat. 

“He’s a slimy little worm that doesn’t deserve all the praise he’s been getting.” 

“Say what you want about him, Mihael. If you have a problem with him, then that’s your business and not mine. I’ll see you in class.”

Matt slammed the door to his locker, turning his back to Mihael before making his way towards Nate and Linda.

“Good morning, Linda & Nate.”

“Perfect timing, Matt,” said Nate.

“I’m assuming you’re here to talk to Linda.”

“I hope you don’t mind.”

“By all means. I was just about to leave to speak to my advisor,” Nate leaned towards Linda, hand raised over her ear to whisper a pair of encouraging words. 

“Don’t worry too much about him. He’s just as nervous as you are.”

Nodding in acknowledgement, Nate took his leave, bidding his brief farewells to Linda and Matt. 

“See you, Nate.” 

By the time Nate was a good distance away, Matt and Linda exchanged gazes, faint redness brushing their cheeks as the awkward silence carried on. Matt forced a chuckle, the lollipop falling from between his lips. He quickly caught it on top of the palm of his fingerless gloves before it could hit the floor. 

Linda mustered a giggle as Matt popped the candy back into his mouth. 

“So erm, I noticed you liked to stop by the sweets shop a few blocks from campus. I’m not sure if you know Natalie, the woman that works there full time. Anyway, she’s my sister.”

“Is she? I figured from the way she talked about how dorky her little brother was.”

Matt’s jaw gaped, which elicited another giggle from Linda. Oh, but there was no need to preoccupy himself with distracting words. As he spoke, Matt removed his fingerless gloves, stuffing them into his left uniform pocket before reaching a hand inside his messenger bag. 

“Dorky?” he scoffed. “The nerve of my sister to make up such lies about me! She neglected to use more accurate phrases such as “cool and handsome.”

Soon, Linda would find a stuffed polar bear within close proximity of her sights. Sporting a red bowtie against its neck, the bear cradled a bouquet of caramel suckers between its hands and feet. 

Needless to say, Linda was surprised, as evident in the darkened shade of red on her expression. Her hands flew up against the corners of her lips, threatening a grin. 

“This is for you. Also, I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me to the galleries sometime next week. My sister has an extra ticket since her friend bailed on her.”

“The galleries? You mean the one showcasing the women artists of the early Renaissance?”

“Yes!”

“Absolutely! I’ve been wanting to see that exhibit for weeks!”

“That’s great. Does next Friday after school work for you?”

“Of course. Thank you so much, Matt. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“It’s my pleasure. I’ll see you next Friday then.”

“See you.”

With arms protectively holding the sweets-carrying polar bear, Linda turned the other direction towards her locker. 

●▬▬▬▬๑۩۩๑▬▬▬▬▬●

One knee was propped against his chest as he sat in the chair outside his advisor’s office. His head turned upon hearing the door creak open and a bulky blond man stepping out to greet his advisee. 

“Good morning, Nate.”

“Good morning, Mr. Rester. There’s something I was hoping to discuss with you really quick before class.”

“Of course. Come in and have a seat.”

With an affirmative nod, Nate stepped inside the office, setting himself on the black leather chair adjacent to the desk. A lone index finger reached the side of his head, twirling the hair above his ear. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Rester sat at his own chair, hands folded on top of his desk as he glanced over at Nate.

“What is it that you’d like to discuss this morning?”

“It’s about my study abroad voucher.”

“I see. By any chance, have you decided where you’d like to use it?”

“As of now, I have expressed interest in Daikoku Academy in Japan.”

“Is that so? I figured you’d be interested in studying in Japan. Have you spoken to the transfer student from Daikoku?”

“Not yet. I do have a class with him, though.”

“Remind me which class that is.”

“Sociology 101.”

“Well, considering sociology is one of the requirements for the criminal justice major, I’d suggest trying to reach out to him. Maybe learn a little more about his experiences at Daikoku because there’s only so much our brochures can tell you.”

“There’s no need to worry about that. I plan to speak to him at my earliest convenience.”

“That’s good. Just don’t forget that you’ll need to schedule to take the Japanese proficiency test before you enroll.”

Nate pursed his lips, fighting back the urge to laugh. As serious as Mr. Rester sounded, the thought of taking a test to prove Nate’s fluency was a mockery, let alone a doubt of his skill. 

“Sir, you seem to forget my mother is Japanese. She’d have my head if I weren’t fluent enough to talk to our relatives in Hokkaido.” 

“I don’t doubt your fluency but this is a requirement for entry by the academy.”

“I am aware of that but I don’t doubt that I will reach somewhere past the minimum requirements. I can have the permission forms signed by my parents and turn them in by end of the week.”

“Sounds good. The forms are in the international affairs office. Come back to me once your test is scheduled and we’ll discuss Daikoku courses.”

“Alright, I’ll do just that. Thank you again for your time.”

“It’s what I’m here for. Good luck.”

Nate stepped out of the office with a satisfied grin.


	3. Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate has a talk with his parents. Light makes a decision about Nate.

Just as Nate stepped out of Mr. Rester’s office, Linda called out to him with a wave. Her face appeared brighter. Clutched against her chest was what he assumed was a gift from Matt. As such, he can safely assume things went well. He greeted his friend with a slight grin as she stopped in front of him, noting the bright red blush on her face. 

“I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece, Linda,” Nate chuckled.

“We’re going to the galleries next week with his older sister. Look at this cute little polar bear he gave me,” said Linda, raising the polar bear to Nate’s view. As cheesy as it appeared, at least his dearest friend was smiling.

“I never thought of him as a gallery type of person, but how thoughtful of him to notice you have quite the keen interest in art.” 

“You jerk,” she teased.

“By the way, how’d things go with you and Mr. Rester?”

“Fine. Once I get the permission slips signed by my parents, I’ll be taking the Japanese proficiency test for admission to Daikoku in the spring.”

“That’s great. I’m really happy for you, Nate. We’re not even seniors yet and things seems to be getting better for the both of us. Next thing you know, we’ll be working for Her Majesty.”

“As exciting as that sounds, I think my father would have a heart attack if he found out I worked for her.”

“Why’s that? Didn’t he serve her once?”

“Precisely,” said Nate in a hushed voice, raising a finger to his lips as he wrinkled his brow.

Linda snorted and the two of them laughed while making their way to their next class.

\------

“He’s home.” 

Hideki lowered the newspaper from his gaze, careful eyes watching as the front door creaked open. After setting his shoes at the front, Nate set his backpack on the floor and glanced towards the dining room. He took hint of the sight of his parents sitting next to each other on the table. To see his father folding his paper gave off an all-too familiar message. 

Loosening the knot of his necktie, Nate removed the article of clothing and made his way into the dining room, sitting across from his parents at the table, loosely crossing his legs. Hideki looked over at Naomi, to which she nodded before turning her gaze to their son.

“How was school?”

“Average.”

“Are you getting along with your friends?”

“As far as I’m-”

“Nate, can you look at me when I’m talking to you?”

The grip of his fingers loosened against the white strands of hair. He didn’t even need to look at her to recognize the concerning knit of her eyebrows, accompanied by the narrowed eyelids. It was always her and not Hideki that scolded him. Forcing a sigh, he removed his hand from his head before casting an anxious gaze towards his mother.

“We don’t know what’s going on with you and that worries us. You’ve stopped eating breakfast at home and when we try to ask you why, you blow us off like it’s nothing. If something’s bothering you, you need to tell us.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Just promise me you won’t skip breakfast again.”

“I promise.”

“You know I'll be enforcing this tomorrow morning. Now, is there something you want to talk to us about?”

Nate reached into his backpack and unzipped the first pocket, pulling out the permission slips. He set them on the table for his parents to see. Hideki adjusted his reading glasses and reached from the slips, noting the bolded words printed on the first page that read, “Daikoku Study Abroad Program.”

“You want to study abroad in Japan?” he asked.

“Yes. Daikoku has one student studying at New Haven and I figured this would be a great opportunity for me to visit Japan.”

Hideki peered over at his wife as he passed the slips over to her.

“Darling, what do you think?”

“I had no idea you were serious about going to Japan.”

“Well, with the way you described it when I was younger, it was only natural that my curiosity was piqued.”

Naomi looked at Nate with a warm grin before glancing back at the slips.

“Just make sure you study hard for those proficiency tests.”

“Considering I grew up with parents fluent in Japanese, I’m confident I’ll do well.”

“You’re a good kid, Nate,” said Hideki.

“As for these permission slips, we’ll sign them on one condition.”

Nate uncrossed his legs, biting his lip.

“And what would that condition be?”

Setting down the forms, Hideki leaned in to Naomi’s ear, whispering his ideas. Naomi would soon agree with a few courteous nods, chuckling at the mere mention. The clueless Nate twirled his hair anxiously as he waited for their deliberation to come to an end. 

\---

“It’s a pleasure to finally speak to you outside of class, Light Yagami.”

Light stopped in his tracks, turning his head towards Nate, who was but a few feet away. He offered a friendly grin as Nate made a slow but anxious approach towards Light.

“Likewise, Nate River. I heard you’re pretty smart. I wouldn’t doubt it since you just addressed me in Japanese.”

“Is that your way of trying to flatter me, Yagami?”

“Of course not. I guess you could say I’m attracted to intelligence.”

A teasing grin pulled back against the corners of Nate’s lips.

“An eye for an eye. I’ve never felt attracted to anyone.”

“I heard you want to transfer to Daikoku in the spring.” 

“It’s a strong possibility.”

“Do you have any doubts?”

“No. The final decision is up to my parents, who said they’d agree on the condition that they get to meet you in person. If you have the time, you can come over for dinner tonight.”

“You want me over for dinner?” 

“My parents want you over for dinner,” Nate corrected.

Light raised his eyebrows.

“It’s an informal invitation but I highly recommend accepting. I’m sure you’re interested in taking a break from the chaos of the dormitories and into the more quiet parts of town. Besides that, my mother’s a great cook and my father promised not to ask too many questions.”

Needless to say, Light couldn’t help but chuckle at the proposal, clearing his throat as he raised a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. Nate pursed his lips, fighting back the urge to fidget as the unnerving silence persisted. He clenched his fists and stuffed them hastily in his pockets. It was almost like Light was doing this on purpose. Just as he was about to add that his mother cooks Japanese food, a detail he neglected to add to his proposal, Light finally spoke up.

“You don’t need to say anything else, Nate. I humbly accept your parents' invitation.”

Nate raised a loosened fist to his mouth, clearing his throat as he nodded in acknowledgement.

“Excellent. You can walk home with me after class. I live five blocks from campus. I look forward to tonight, Light Yagami.”

And with that, Nate turned the other way, grimacing at those last words. Light, on the other hand, continued on his way with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy moly. It's been over a year since I last posted and a lot has happened in real life. I did manage to get internet and a more pleasant apartment but I am planning to move again sometime in the early summer. I've made it my top priority to write more. Of course, I've been making a priority to write more original content. I've been working on a big universe development project on my Tumblr and I hope to get everything together soon. Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. The next chapter is already in the works but I'll need some time before I can work on it. I still have to update "Sugar and Spice." "(Un)familiar Faces," however, will be scrapped due to lack of muse. I apologize to those that were loyal readers of that fic as well. Thank you again for you patience and occasional assistance with typos/grammatical errors.

**Author's Note:**

> Well well well, what's this? I blame certain people for making me write this. I'd like to dedicate this to Darcy for making me jump ships like this. I mean, I never really shipped LawLight but I also wanted an excuse to write Near, my problematic cotton ball of a son. Also, I'm going to do my best to research how schools work in England. If anyone is from England and wants to fill me in, feel free to message me privately so I'm not 100% inaccurate. 
> 
> I'd also like to note that even though I'm done with college, updates will be slow as I try to find a full time job. Not to mention there's no internet at my new apartment. Sigh. Oh well. At least I can use the wi-fi at my current job or at the library. Thanks again for being patient as I continue to update everything else to the best of my abilities.


End file.
